Parking meter



June 23, 1942. F, BALls-rERl 2,287,547

PARKING METER y Filed May 2o, 19:58

IE.: EJ?. Esi-'E E. En.' EJE.

Jose/ liga/sieri INV NTOR. v

ATTORNEY.

Patented June 23, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE PARKING METER Joseph F. Balisteri, Dalias, Tex. Application May 20, 1938, Serial No. 208,987

(c1. icl- 15) 2 Claims.

This invention relates to parking meters and more particularly to meters employed by municipalities for controlling and predetermining the 4parking time of vehicles on city streets as a means of collecting revenue.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a novel clock-actuated, coin and weightcontrolled mechanism wherein provision is made for return of the time indicating pointers to their original positions through the medium of cooperating devices rendered operative by the insertion of a coin.

Another object of the invention is to provide a housing carrying two oppositely directed and numerically graduated faces over which pairs of oppositely directed pointers are moved and which faces are also provided with indicia by which the parking time, over a predetermined period may be accurately ascertained.

The expressed objects being foremost, other and lesser objects as well asfcertain salient features of construction will become manifest in the course of the following description, taken with the accompanying drawing. wherein:

Figure l is a front elevational view of a parking meter constructed according to the present invention with portions broken away.

Figure 2 is a similar view in elevation, broken away. to show certain of the interior parts.

Figure 3 is an elevational view in vertical section showing the clock mechanism, cable and pulley for raising the pointers and the weight for returning the pointers to starting position.

Figure 4 is a view on line 4-4 on Figure 2, fragmentarily showing the coin release elements.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of the lower part of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a transverse section on line 6--6 on Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a side elevational view of the clock mechanism housing, showing the clutch means in cross-section taken on line 'I-1 on Figure 3, and

Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the coin chute fragmentarily, the counter-balanced coin actuated arm and the clutch control lever operated thereby.

Continuing with a more detailed description of the drawing, the housing I is adapted to be mounted upon a post or pedestal, not shown, at spaced intervals along a street or thoroughfare, properly zoned. This housing controlled mechanism, a weight and a coin.

contains the clockaided in its operation by The housing encloses two faces A in opposed relationship, bearing numerals from zero to downward from a transverse line designated over-time. Above this line are numerals from 5 to l0 (or more) upward, indicating in minutes the over-time" parking above a period fixed by the numerals below the line.

A horizontal rod 2 extends through vertical slots 3 in the faces A and carries upon either end pointers 4, directed oppositely toward the vertical rows of numerals indicating time in minutes.

The clock mechanism is generally indicated by the reference numeral 5 in Figure 3, and upon the shaft 3 driven thereby is mounted a peripherally grooved pulley 6. Connected at one end to thispulley is a cable 'l which extends upwardly and over a second grooved pulley 8, in the top of housing I and has a weight 9 suspended from its opposite end.

It is apparent from the foregoing that while the clock mechanism is operating, the pulley 6 will be rotated in the direction of the arrow in Figure 3, through a clutch to be presently described, and the cable 1 will be wound thereon, causing the weight 9 to be elevated in a tubular guide Sia connected to a plate 8b, secured to and directed outwardly from the inner wall of housing I. Thus, the shaft 2 and pointers 4 will move upward, the pointers indicating the diminishing time periods on faces A.

It is necessary to limit the rotative travel of the pulley 6 to determine the upward travel of the pointers 4. Thisv is accomplished through the medium of a detent or lever III, pivoted at II to one wall of the housing I2 which contains the clock mechanism 5. One end of this lever is directed into the space between the housing I2 and pulley 6 and in the path of a pin I4 which is mounted on the pulley 6 and therefore travels` therewith. It may be mentioned here that the pin I4 is intended to be adjustable, that is to say, movable to other locations around the pulley relative to the point of securement thereto oi the end of cable I so that the length of cable unwound from the pulley may be predetermined. When the pin I4 strikes the end I3 of the lever I0, the opposite end of the latter will come to rest against the periphery of the housing I2 and the pulley 6 will therefore be restrained against further rotation until such time as a coin or token is dropped into the coin chute I5.

When a chute I5,

coin I5 (Figure 1) is inserted in it falls against the inwardly turned lower end Il* of a depending arm Il, the latter being pivoted at its upper end to the rear wall oi' coin chute Il and provided with a counterbalancing weight II which normally urges the lower end of arm Il into the slot in the coin chute in the path oi.' a coin passing downwardly therein.

It will be noted in Figures 4 and 5 that a highly ilexible strip I l* is secured at a to the rear wall of the coin chute and has an inwardly turned lip Il* on its lower extremity which enters an aperture in the chute wall immediatelyl below the slot therein which accommodates the end IIb oi arm I0. Above this lip is a protuberance Ilb struck outwardly from strip Il* and underlying the end I5'J of arm I8. The purpose oi' this arrangement is to intercept a coiny by the lip I8l after it passes the end I5 of arm I8, in the' manner shown in Figure 1 until such time as another coin is inserted in the chute, whereupon the latter coin, in striking I5" will cause the arm I8 to urge the protuberance I'Ib outward, ilexing the member II causing I6* to retract torelease the supported coin, and to return to its position in the aperture in time to intercept the second coin. 'Ihe intercepted coin is visible through an opening (not shown) in the housing I.

It is understood that in order that the clock mechanism may operate the cable as described, the clutch elements must be in engagement. However, when it is desired to return the pointers to the starting position or bottom of the faces A, the clutch elements must be disengaged. This is accomplished by an Varm or lever B, (Figures 2 and 8) having a lateral extension Il which bears against arm IG near its upperend. A yoke I supports the arm B and is pivotally mounted by means of pins a' journaled in ears carried by a plate b mounted on the housing I2 and which yoke engages a clutch element I9. When a coin, in passing downward in chute I5, strikes the end I5b of arm I6 to urge the latter outward simultaneously, the arm B is actuated to move the yoke I8l and consequently the clutch element I9 outwardly against the resistance of spring 20, which latter normally holds the clutch elements in frictional engagement. While the action is instantaneous, sumcient time is permitted for the weight 9 to drop to the guide 9", bringing with it the pointers l, since the pulley 6 is free to rotate and unwind the cable 1.

It is to be understood that when the pointers reach the upper limit of travel the clutch faces will slip to prevent any damage to the parts. The pointers will not drop until a coin is deposited into the chute I5. At lthis time, the clock starts functioning to begin raising the pointers to register parking time consumed and remaining.

bottom oi' its tubular f In operation, a com is inserted into the chute I l which strikes the end Ill of arm II, whereupon arm B is moved to eiIect release of the clutch elements I I. The pointers I then drop. indicating the period of parking timegallotted. Should the time allotted for a zone be less than the i'ull measure of time on the races A, the pin I4 is accordingly moved to a position to shorten the length of cable whlchmight be unwound from pulley l. The pointers 4 would then descend only to the limit allowed by the cable, or at some predetermined point intermediate the tops and bottoms .of fades A.

When the clock requires rewinding, a key 2| is used but is, of course, removed when the spring of the mechanism is wound.

Manifestly, the construction as shown and described is capable ot some modification and such modification as may be construed to fall within the scope and meaning oi' the appended claims is also considered to be within the Yspirit and intent of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A parking meter including a housing having open sides, vertically slotted and numerically scaled faces in said openings, a rod having its ends protruding through said slots and carrying pairs of oppositely directed pointers, a weight connected intermediate the ends otvsaid rod. a clock mechanism, a pulley operated by said clock mechanism, a clutch eii'ecting connection between said pulley and clock mechanism, a cable connected to said pulley, a second pulley in the top of said housing, said cable overriding said second pulley and being Joined to said weight to support the same, wherebysaid pointers willascend from an initial position when said clutch is operative, and coin controlled means operative to release pointers to drop to their initial position in said housing. i

2. A parking meter comprising a housing having oppositely directed, vertically slotted and numerically scaled faces, a rod extending through said slots carrying a pointer on either end for movement over said faces. a clock mechanism, a pulley operated by said clock mechanism, clutch elements mounted on the shaft of said pulley and having spring means to eiIect engagement between said pulley and clock mechanism, a cable connected to said pulley, an idler pulley in the top o! said housing over which said cable passes, the latter being connected to said rod whereby to raise said rod and pointers when said clutch elements are engaged, a weight also carried by said rod and coin controlled means operative to actuate said clutch elements whereby to release said cable to the action of said wei-zbt to lower said pointers.

JOSEPH F. BALIS'I'ERI.

said clutch to cause said weight and 

